In February 2019, Karl Lagerfeld, the iconic German fashion designer, passed away at the age of 85 due to pancreatic cancer. Lagerfeld left his entire fortune to seven people, including his muse and lover, Baptiste Giabiconi; his bodyguard, Sébastien Jondeau; his daughter his godson, Hudson; Caroline Lebar, his publicist; and Francois Caçote, the caretaker of his Choupette's cat.
However, four years later, the inheritance situation remains unresolved. According to Céline Degoulet, the Chanel designer's lawyer, "the situation that was left in the end was not very orderly. This type of large legacies can take 10 years to resolve." The designer's assets are split between France and Monaco, making it quite a fortune.
It was revealed in the BBC documentary "The Mysterious Mr. Lagerfeld" that Jondeau, his bodyguard, was the only one who knew about his illness and that all the medicines were prescribed in his name to keep the news a secret. In addition, the personal life of the designer is also discussed.
Gilles Defour, a former friend of Lagerfeld's at Chanel, claims to have introduced her to Jacques de Bascher, whom Lagerfeld admitted was the love of his life. But the two got into a nasty love triangle with the Yves Saint Laurent designer, as he also loved De Bascher.
On the other hand, Giabiconi describes his relationship with Lagerfeld more as father and son. "We had talked about the desire that one day Karl would adopt me. That's what he wanted. He gave me a gift, a set of Louis Vuitton suitcases. He ordered initials on the luggage. So he put BLG, Baptiste Lagerfeld Giabiconi," he reveals. in the documentary.
Giabiconi is expected to attend the Met Gala to pay tribute to his 'father'. Despite the problems that persist in resolving Lagerfeld's estate, his legacy as one of the most influential designers of the 20th century lives on more than ever.
